The firm is led by Eric A. Koch, who brings over 34 years of experience to his clients.
An 8th generation Hoosier, Eric grew up on a grain and livestock farm, where he learned the value of hard work.
He earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Georgetown University and worked on President Ronald Reagan’s re-election campaign in the Office of Political Affairs at the Reagan-Bush ’84 Committee.
While earning his Juris Doctorate at the Indiana University School of Law, he clerked at the Bloomington law firm of McDonald, Barrett & Dakich.
He has been engaged in the private practice of law with offices in Bloomington since 1989 and Bedford since 2003. He is a member of the Monroe and Lawrence County Bar Associations, the Indiana State Bar Association, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and founded and served as the first President of the Indiana Creditors Bar Association.
In 2002, he was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives, where he served until being elected to the Indiana State Senate in 2016. His legislative service has been recognized by, among others, the Indiana Judges Association (Champion of Justice Award), the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association (Legislator of the Year 2008 and 2015), the Indiana Pro Bono Commission (Randall T. Shepard Award), Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher (Kentucky Colonel), and Indiana Governor Mike Pence (Sagamore of the Wabash).
He currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Utilities Committee, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce & Technology Committees, and as a member of the Senate Corrections & Criminal Law Committee.
A nationally-recognized leader in energy policy, he serves as co-chairman of the Energy Supply Task Force of the National Conference of State Legislatures, as a member of the Executive Committee of the National Council on Electricity Policy, and holds a graduate certificate in Energy Policy Planning from the University of Idaho. He also served as a member of the Federal Communications Commission Consumer Advisory Committee from 2018—2022. He focuses on energy, telecommunications, and water policy interactions in Indiana and nationally.
He has served as a member of the Indiana Commission on Courts (2007—2011), the Indiana Probate Code Study Commission (2005—2007, 2013—2014, 2019—present), the Indiana Military Base Planning Council (2005—2019), the Board of Trustees of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (2006—2011), and the Indiana Public Defender Commission (2017—present). He represents Indiana as a Commissioner on The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (2018—present). As a member of the Indiana Supreme Court's Commercial Courts Committee (2019—present), he provides guidance to Indiana's Commercial Courts. He was appointed by the Indiana Supreme Court to serve on its Innovation Initiative (2019—2023) to advise the Supreme Court on opportunities to increase efficiency and accessibility through innovative technology and case management, analysis of court reform, and development and testing of pilot programs related to court reform.
Eric frequently serves as a faculty member teaching continuing legal education courses, including for the Indiana State Bar Association and the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum. He enjoys teaching lawyers about new developments in the law and sharing his insights into the legislative process.
He is a registered civil mediator, having earned a civil mediation certificate from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law, studying under ADR expert John Krauss. Eric enjoys using the combination of his mediation skills and litigation experience to help parties settle cases and resolve disputes.
Eric is frequently appointed by judges to serve as a court-appointed fiduciary with responsibilities such as a trustee, federal multidistrict litigation plaintiffs’ steering committee member, special administrator, and personal representative.
A licensed Indiana title insurance producer, he founded Indiana Title Insurance Company in 2015 and served as its President. His business experience also includes real estate, as President of White River Properties, Inc.; agriculture, as a member of Koch Farms LLC; and healthcare, as a former board member and Chairman of the Board of Dunn Memorial Hospital and St. Vincent Dunn Hospital.
He is a member of the Boards of Directors of Mid-Southern Savings Bank, FSB and its holding company Mid-Southern Bancorp, Inc. (OTCQX: MSVB).
His leadership in the non-profit sector has included service as a member of the Board of Governors of the Society of Indiana Pioneers, as a member of the Executive Board of the Hoosier Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America, as a member of the Mitchell Urban Enterprise Association Board, and as a member of the Georgetown University Alumni Admissions Committee.
Honors and Awards
- Named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Mike Pence
- Named a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Ernie Fletcher
- Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business (2019)
- Champion of Justice Award from the Indiana Judges Association (2016)
- Randall T. Shepard Award from the Indiana Pro Bono Commission (2012)
- Commitment to Rural Water Excellence Award, Alliance of Indiana Rural Water (2022)
- Senator of the Year, Aviation Indiana (2020)
- 2019 Legislator of the Year, The Arc of Indiana (2020)
- Legislative Excellence Award, Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council (2018 & 2021)
- Legislator of the Year, Indiana Chapter National Association of Water Companies (2018)
- Legislator of the Year, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (2017)
- Legislative Service Award, Indiana Municipal Power Agency (2017)
- National Active & Retired Federal Employees Association (2016)
- Outstanding Achievement in State Tax Reform Award, Tax Foundation (2015)
- Legislator of the Year, Indiana Volunteer Firefighters Association (2015)
- Champion of Indiana's Electric Cooperatives (2015)
- Legislator of the Year, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association (2008 & 2015)
- Legislator of the Year, Indiana Telecommunications Association (2011)
- Cordry-Sweetwater Conservancy District (2010)
- President's Award, Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living (2006 & 2008)
- Legislative Leadership Award, Indiana Rural Health Association (2006)
- Government Leadership Award, Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce (2005)
- Indiana Speech - Language - Hearing Association (2005)
- Corporation for Educational Technology (2004)
- Southern Indiana Drug Task Force (2004)
Public Service:
- Midwestern Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee, 2022—present
- Member, Indiana Geological & Water Survey Advisory Council, 2022—present
- Member, Executive Committee of the National Council on Electricity Policy (NCEP), 2019—present
- Commissioner, National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, 2018—present
- Member, Indiana Public Defender Commission, 2017—present
- Member, Indiana Commercial Courts Committee, 2019—present
- Member, Indiana Supreme Court Innovation Initiative, 2019—2023
- Member, Consumer Advisory Committee, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 2018—2022
- Board Member, Mitchell Urban Enterprise Association, 2017—2020
- Member, Indiana Military Base Planning Council, 2005—2019
- Member, Indiana Commission on Courts, 2007—2011
- Member, Indiana Probate Code Study Commission, 2005—2007, 2013—2014, 2019 - present
- Trustee, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, 2006—2011
- Member, Board of Advisors, Oakland City University – Bedford, 2008—2011
Faculty:
- Panelist, "Advancing a One Water Future: State Options for Sustainable Water Resource Management", National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, 2024
- Panelist, "Goals of Energy Affordability", Affordability in a Transitioning Electricity System, National Council on Electricity Policy Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2023
- Moderator, “Electric Evolution: Power Changes and Challenges”, National Conference of State Legislators Legislative Summit, Indianapolis, 2023.
- "Energy Policymaking in Indiana", Legislative Energy Horizon Institute, Washington, DC, 2022
- "Indiana's Broadband Grant Programs: Legislative Insight for Then and Now", Indiana Law Review Broadband Symposium, Connecting the World: Rural Broadband Issues & Opportunities, 2022
- "Leadership Lens: Policy, Power, and Pipelines", Indiana Energy Association Annual Energy Conference, French Lick, Indiana, 2022
- "The Evolving Customer: Resilience and the Local Economy", National Council on Electricity Policy Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 2022
- "Pillars and Principles of Utility Policymaking in Indiana", Indiana State Bar Association Utility Law Section Annual Conference, 2022
- "Federalism and Broadband Spending: Finding the Right Approach", The Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention, Washington, DC, 2021
- "Legislative Update 2021: New Laws that Impact Your Practice", Hoosier Hills Estate Planning Council, 2021
- "Service of Lawyer-Legislators in the Indiana General Assembly", Indianapolis Bar Association, 2007—2016, 2018—2023
- "Utilities and Energy", 29th Annual Dentons Legislative Conference, 2020
- "Legislative Update", Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana 27th Annual Conference, 2020
- "Building the 21st Century Energy Workforce", National Conference of State Legislatures Teleforum, 2020
- "Legislative Update", Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2012—2023 (Chair, 2017—2023)
- Bench Bar Conference, Monroe County Bar Association, 2013, 2018, 2020
- "Water Utility Consolidation", American Water Summit, Houston, Texas, 2019
- "Connecting Rural America: Teleforum on Practical Solutions for Closing the Rural Digital Divide", New York Law School, 2019
- "Legislative Update", Indiana State Bar Association, 2013—2017
- Leadership Development Academy, Indiana State Bar Association, 2013, 2014, 2016
- "Patent Trolling", Indiana State Bar Association Solo & Small Firm Conference, 2016
- Panelist, Building Bridges Symposium, "The Civility Solution - Finding Common Ground in a Challenging World", Bloomington, Indiana, 2015
- "Energy Challenges and Opportunities", Indiana Industrial Energy Consumers, 2013
- "Law of Bullying in Indiana", Indiana State Bar Association, 2012
- Advanced Communications Law and Policy Institute Summit, New York Law School, 2012
- "State Law and Energy Policy", Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Indiana University, 2009
- "Collection Law in Indiana", Lorman Education Seminars, 1998
Governing Board Service
- Member, Board of Governors, Society of Indiana Pioneers, 2014—present
- Member, Executive Board, Hoosier Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America, 2016—2019
- Chairman, Board of Directors, St. Vincent Dunn Hospital, 2010—2014
- Member, Board of Governors, Dunn Memorial Hospital, 1999—2010 (Chairman, 2001—2010)
- Member, Board of Directors, National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent and Disabled, 1993—2013
- Member, Board of Directors, Indiana Heritage Arts, Inc., 1999—2001
Professional Memberships
